Friday, December 14, 2007

Brits drink more than they think

By Libby

There's a new study out in the UK that suggests previous metrics were flawed and using more current methodology concluded, Brits drink more than past studies would indicate. I don't know if that's true but I doubt they're in any danger of becoming the world standard for drunks.

Speaking from personal experience, I've hoisted more than a few brews with various ethnic groups back in the days when I used to have three or so beers before I went out drinking. Brits are surely good drinkers but they have a long way to go before they can beat Germans or Czechs. However, the gold standard still is, and I think probably always will be, the Irish. They're the only ones that were ever able to drink me under the table anyway.

As my dear friend Harry McColgan used to say. "You're not really drunk until you're holding on to the grass to keep from falling off the face of the earth." Hard not to agree with that, when you're lying on the lawn next to him.

5 Comments:

More perspective. I lived in London during the 1980s and experienced this first hand: All pubs closed at 11:30, and drinkup time was 11:00 PM (a remnant regulation from WW-II). The result was more "binge" drinking, and any alcohol/drug counselor will tell you that "binging" drinking leads to more dependency and abuse disorders than leisurely drinking.

SC, I used to bartend in MA, and they binge drinking at the end of the night is universal.

MW, I have spent time drinking with Aussies in my travels and I'd admit they're in top ten, but they still don't beat the Irish.

To my knowledge I've never tried to outdrink a Kiwi. I'm not sure I've ever even met one, but heck I couldn't a Brit under the table anymore. I lost my drinking chops years ago. Now I blog instead of drink...

Libby, "binge" drinking is a known risk factor with respect to the incidence of alcohol dependency/abuse disorders. This has been observed and quantified by numerous clinial researchers over the years, i.e. not the same as anecdotal observations at the pub.